New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom left his start Wednesday night due to right shoulder soreness after pitching three perfect innings against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
deGrom will undergo an MRI exam as a precaution, but he did not seem overly concerned while speaking following the Mets’ 6-3 victory.
“This is getting old,” he said of his recent nagging injuries. “I want to be out there competing instead of coming out of these games with these little (ailments).”
In the third inning, deGrom appeared to be stretching his shoulder, and as the Mets batted in the bottom half, reliever Sean Reid-Foley began warming up quickly. Reid-Foley replaced deGrom in the fourth.
deGrom retired all nine hitters he faced on 51 pitches. He struck out eight, including the last seven in a row, and threw 11 pitches at least 100 mph.
It was the second straight start deGrom departed early due to injury. On Friday against the San Diego Padres, he was pulled because of right flexor tendinitis after throwing 80 pitches in six innings.
Following the Friday outing, deGrom said he was not concerned. An MRI on Saturday came back clean, and the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner did his usual routine in between starts.
deGrom also missed a start in May due to a lat injury.
Speaking after the Wednesday game, deGrom said, “I think it’s three separate issues. I think the lat was something to do with the swing. The elbow I didn’t think too much of, like I said I was pretty confident that that was nothing. And I’m pretty confident that this is nothing.”
The Mets’ ace is 6-2 with a 0.54 ERA in 11 starts this season. He has 111 strikeouts and just eight walks in 67 innings.
